Liberation's Library
by Touda
Summary: After the events that unfurled in Kain's past, the great vampire lord created a new brood. Two fledglings with mediocre skills, but the ambition to see things through to the end. Angst, Inc, Language, M/F, OC, UST, Violence, VS, WIP
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own the characters of Sachiel and Ramiel, but the storyverse they live in belongs to Eidos, Crystal Dynamics and whomever else has ties to the Legacy of Kain world. I'm not making any money off of this, it's merely for personal entertainment.

Warnings: Vampiric behaviour, inklings of incest, language, possible mind fuckage.

Notes: These characters were created by myself and my boyfriend, after long hours playing the games and the desire to see the aftermath of Kain's negligent rule. It's set nearly a millennia in the future, post-Defiance, and centers around his new brood. I'm not as skilled with writing original characters as I am with plain fanfiction, so it may seem different than my other works published on this site. Please bear with me, as it's a new venture for me.

---------------------------------

_Out of the burning and collapsed building he crept, stalking toward the pair of humans-who-would-be-deities. The woman stared at him from her place on the ground, a stake pierced painfully through her gut, with its malicious end stabbed deeply into the partially frozen mud. The man, younger than she but equally loyal to the vampire scourge, snarled angry words at the white haired creature, aware of the man's heritage and his pious duty to his kind, but still livid over what had occurred. He raised his sword to the nearly inhuman vision and was struck down by Kain's mighty Reaver blade. He fell with an echoed holler and as his dying body draped over his comrade, the vampire sympathizer looked up into the eyes of the third party, leaving the living realm with a voice in his head and a frightening, smiling face burned into the backs of his eyes._

------------------------------------

"Get off of me, Sachiel."

"But I don't want to, just because you want me to, Ramiel."

In the forge where battlements and weapons came to life, deep in the vampiric lord Kain's lands, two siblings bickered, unheard by their father but certainly heard by the local flora and fauna.

The female, heavy by comparison to other females in the past, shook her head as she laughed, her cropped pale blue hair bouncing along with her movements where it sat behind the horned forehead she shared with her father. Her eyes, resembled their father's; a gloomy yellow that shone brightly in the darkness and dim light, yet looked somewhat sickly in faded light. Casually, she climbed off of the younger but larger vampire and leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest.

Ramiel however, looked far more like their father, except with short hair in a washed out but distinct shade of blond. His eyes were blue, in a shade his sister referred to as cerulean, an odd occurrence considering how unique blue eyes were amongst their pale-eyed brethren. A blacksmith by trade, the secondborn's wares were created exclusively for his father and sister, and each piece was crafted with both magic and hard work, leading them to quickly become legendary items.

Miffed at his sister for her intolerable playfulness while he was trying to work, Ramiel turned his back on her and again took up his hammer, intent on finishing the armour he had begun to create especially for her. The pieces were stacked beside the casting furnace, each one glimmering in coal black and a pearlescent blue.

"Why do you have to be so mean, Brother? You know there's no true blood relation between us. Father told us that years ago."

The man's shoulders hunched slightly as he tried harder to concentrate, unable to tune the other's voice out because he had to hear the ring of the metal to know its limits and consistency.

"I know that well enough. You don't have to keep telling me."

"And yet you delight in constantly reminding me of our sibling status."

The hammer clanged down on the well-worn anvil and the blond vampire whirled to face the grinning weapons master, a scowl on his face and a huff in his voice.

"Only when you insist on creating relations between us."

"You mean, trying to get into bed with you when it's cold at night?"

"Yes-"

"And touching you gently when you've hurt yourself and need cheering up?"

"Yes, but-"

"And loving you more than I love Father because of simple, blind devotion?"

Ramiel balked for a moment. "Serious?"

She nodded and stepped closer to the tall blacksmith, lifting her arms to wind them around his neck, the gentle curve of his jawline tempting her as she licked the defined feature.

"What's so wrong with all that, Brother?"

"Nothing, I suppose. But please don't make it so obvious when we're being watched. I felt eyes on me yesterday, when you groped me in the arena."

Sachiel let the other go and stepped back, brushing off her tunic and readjusting the cloak over her shoulder.

"We were being watched by the sluagh. I felt them in the high corners. Anyway, I have to get going. I'm due in the arena right now, as a matter of fact. That steel halberd you made for me last week needs more working in. I almost threw my back out trying to toss it around. The balance is right, but I'm a little off."

She waved back as she took off running, quickly putting distance between herself and the forge and then disappearing completely as she entered the grand complex. The sun never shone where they resided but Kain gave them every amenity he lacked as a young man, filling their underground home with personal belongings and trappings only wealthy merchants of a generation past could have afforded.

Ramiel snickered to himself and turned back to the armour, quickly creating a strength spell and imbuing the delicate but resilient surface with its magic. The steel shone for a moment before cooling, taking on a shinier appearance and completing its creation.

"This one'll be perfect, Sister. Hopefully, it'll even stand up to _your_ abuse."

-------------------------------

_"They're coming, Yosh!"_

_Heavy breathing from behind the frightened woman gave rise to the fact that her partner was following directly, scurrying like mice to avoid the oncoming onslaught._

_"Head for the Cathedral, Haya! Don't give them a moment's trust, regardless of what you believe!"_

_Ducking behind bushes and what would have constituted foliage in the miserable vampiric lands, Haya rushed toward the Ruined Cathedral, knowing that within its hallowed halls lay salvation. The rest of her people resided there during the clan wars and had survived only by sympathizing with the vampires and becoming almost slaves to them._

_The village below the great spiraled building was in ruins as well, but it was flaming with new fires, ones set by the rest of the group to maintain their safety. As far as they knew and had seen, vampires detested fire because of its basic destructive ability. Haya dodged a crumbling wall and was grazed by the falling debris, hissing in pain as the scorching heat of the flaming wood licked at her bare arms, not even sparing time for a glance behind to see if Yosh was still there._

_The redhead heard a creature to her left and as she turned to face it she felt agonizing pain explode in her shoulder and chest. Looking down, she saw the blunted but once-sharpened point of a carved halberd sticking out just below her ribcage. She fell with an anguished cry, staking herself to the ground as she landed on the weapon's point, driving the pain home even further as it jarred her body and shocked her nervous system. The snarling creature stood close by as she heard Yosh come running up, his angered scream followed by a gurgling wail as he beheaded the vampire with one swipe of his sword._

_"Haya!" He cried out, "I can't heal this! No one in the group can heal this!"_

_It was more like the wail of a desperate, doomed soldier than a loving comrade and the woman closed her eyes as the pain became unbearable, nearly unconscious from the loss of blood and the ongoing shock. She felt her partner rise to his feet and only just registered his voice, but it became too dim for her to hear as she finally gave up trying to remain on the living plane._

_Beside her, Yosh stood defensively with his sword raised threateningly, attempting to ward off the figure that stepped slowly through the flaming buildings to their right, as if the fire had no effect on its seemingly flammable body._

_"Get away from us, you vile monster! We served your kind faithfully and this is how you repay us?!"_

_The white haired vampire simply chuckled as he came out of the flames, brushing the ashes from his arms with wide three-fingered hands, both of which Yosh noticed, were weaponless. He had begun to change as his kind were oft to do, but according to legend and basic folklore, the vampire lord's brood of a time neither human had lived through, had perished after they had been through the state of change, a time that lasted decades at the least and a millennia at the most._

_Before them, Lord Kain stood in his remembered form, one he was loathe to change from and the one he was depicted in in the texts and wall hangings Yosh's family and subsequent servant group swore their allegiance and fealty to. He was going against his beliefs by standing ground before the great vampire, but his partner was dead, his human family no doubt slain in the Cathedral's main hall, and his temper was at its end._

_"Go on! Send me to the spectral realm as you've done to my beloved! She was loyal to you! We were all loyal-"_

_"You misunderstand my presence, human." Kain said softly, barely heard over the crackle and din of the roaring fire. "I followed you from the Lake, where the True sluagh attacked your party."_

_The man stood there staring, uncertain if the vampire lord was a friend or foe, even with the friendly conversation in mind._

_"What was the purpose of following us? If it was to save us, you've failed! My Haya is dead!"_

_Yosh screamed the final words and Kain simply smiled, stalking past the grieving human to crouch down beside the fallen one, his mutated hand reaching out to caress her short red hair. The man snarled in his throat, angry that the vampire would even dare to touch her in such a state, not even giving her the dignity of death without being touched by his murderous hands._

_"She is dead, human, but I have a solution for you."_

_"A solution? What do you propose, great Lord? If it is to become one of you, I decline for both of us! We served the vampires faithfully and loyally, without question, and we woke less than a day ago to fires burning in our homes and our blood spilled upon the ground! Your kind cannot be trusted!"_

_The brunet servant had no time to speak again as Kain lashed out with his mighty sword, cutting a gash deep enough in the thin body to nearly peel it in half. Yosh choked on his own blood while eying the reaver blade, watching it drink the blood that poured from his still living body, portions of it being fed to Kain as well. Haya's blood however, was useless to him, as the body was now dead and the liquid would be like poison to the white haired vampire. _

_"You...why, Lord Kain?"_

_"I have in mind a new idea, Yosh Tenkrau of the Gryne faction. An idea that would benefit your side as well as mine."_

_The brave but doomed human closed his eyes as blackness took him as well, hearing only Kain's laughter as he collapsed to the soiled ground beside his woman, the pain gone as he sighed the last breath he would ever take._

_--------------------------------_

In the bowels of the underground complex, Sachiel grunted as she threw herself to the left, the giant halberd she wielded glistening in the light from the bright braziers. The length of the weapon skirted the ground as she held it with both hands and swung around. She came to a sudden halt and stared up into the darkness surrounding the support pillars of the grand room, immediately falling to one knee with her head bowed, the weapon settled on the ground beside her.

"You are improving, my beloved Firstborn." Came crooning words from the distance. The body they came from appeared directly before her and a loving hand rested atop her head, the three fingers pushing her hair down with a familiarity the female had always loved, though she wasn't sure why.

"I am, Father. I spoke to Ramiel about the size this morning and was determined to conquer it before the day was out. I am capable."

It was more of an argument than anything, with the forcefulness of the woman's words, but Kain simply smiled and stepped back, giving her the room she needed to demonstrate.

"Show me."

Throwing herself into it, Sachiel lifted the polearm and was on her feet before a blink could be given, the large handle held behind her head as she brought the deadly end down towards the elder vampire, knowing that he would dodge or at least vanish to save his life. Kain lifted a hand to block the attack and then grinned maliciously before vaporising into mist, filling the room with the chilly fog until he reformed at the other end of the room.

The short haired vampire smiled broadly and then bowed before attempting a second pass, this time vanishing herself, using her water based powers to create a fog around herself that refracted light to make her seemingly invisible. Her energies could still be picked up by Kain however, and he moved just as she came down a second time, listening with vague glee as the steel weapon snapped from the force of the blow, its blade shattered against the stone floor.

"Oh, for the love of-"

"Child."

"I won't say it, Father."

"Good girl. Now, find your brother and both of you go hunting, to better hone your skills. My travels have informed me that a large band of True sluagh are roaming north of the boreal forest."

"We're allowed outside for the hunt?" She asked with obvious glee. Kain nodded and waved a hand.

"Only for the hunt itself. Return here when you've finished. The three of us will hunt together elsewhere for our evening meal."

Excited about trying out the armour Ramiel was making for her and about having a chance to fight something other than herself, Sachiel bowed and ran off, always running as it seemed so much more dignified than simple walking, the broken poleaxe tucked under her arm so she could leave it with her brother and have it fixed by the time she wished to train again.

--------------------------

In his throne room Kain paced, his cloak draped over the grand chair while he muttered to himself, his words echoing in the dimly lit chamber. His morning patrols had brought him to the boreal forest, where the True sluagh resided; creatures from the spectral realm but that had crossed over after becoming too strong for their environment. They were mindless beings and they rambled endlessly while usually spouting nonsense, but that day the leader of the band, a red sluagh, spoke truths to the great vampire leader.

Kain took the monster's words as a lie and because he never wanted to hear the blasphemies again, he ordered his brood to hunt them down, a task the pair enjoyed very much and a surefire way to rid himself of such lies.

"Honestly, they're not still in love with each other, are they? How revolting, considering their new stations as brother and sister."

The white haired vampire shuddered slightly and went to sit in his seat, lifting his cloak and folding it over his lap, his eyes closed and head tilted back for a moment of solace. He had taught the two fledglings well over the last few centuries and while the human scourge had finally ended, the lesser creatures had begun to invade their lands. Sluagh and devious mutants of a generation past coming back to haunt the grand lord, for the most part. Simple things that should not have worried him, yet they festered like a rank sore in the back of Kain's mind.

---------------------------

"High left! Flank the south, Sachiel!"

"Got it!"

Unheard by the female fighter, an aged True Sluagh wailed its pain as it died, noisily fading back into the deepest depths of the spectral plane. Smiling broadly she posed, waiting for her brother's command for the next strike, her eyes following the younger vampire's form as he sought the creatures out. Turning viciously, Ramiel struck a hand out and made a fist, as if he were holding something in mid air.

"Here, Sachiel! Lessen your attack and aim for my hand!"

He struggled as the sluagh, invisible to his sister, lashed out at him, its screams causing him to shiver. He held it until he heard Sachiel's blade swing through the air, letting go at just the right moment, saving his hand and leaving the ghostly figure to wail as it vanished.

"They're hollow inside, brother! Find me an Elder one! As long as it's casting a red pallor, you shouldn't have any trouble, right?"

The blond vampire nodded as he dodged to his right, executing a sharp back flip over the body of a large Elder sluagh. The creature whipped around and attempted to strike at the spellcaster but Ramiel was too fast for it, quickly binding a surround spell on it and keeping its wriggling form still for the other hunter.

"Hold him tight!"

Sachiel lunged for the animal, bringing her two-handed sword down in a swinging arc and grunting in both pain and exertion as the blade lodged in the creature's shoulder. While the common sluagh were almost entirely spectral, the Elder ones had some semblance of a material form, though it still remained in the dark realm and invisible to the female fighter.

Tugging hard, she pulled the weapon from its struggling body and tried again, this time loosing hold of the blade for a brief second and then again wrapping her hands around its worn, leather-wrapped hilt, dragging it along the specter's skull, splitting the surface and killing it.

One particularly bad occurrence happened just as the female turned to smile at her companion, caught off guard by a momentary lapse in the battle. The brave fighter felt an odd sensation behind her and was shocked to find the younger vampire running towards her, a spell held out in his right hand and a terrified look on his face. Unable to see the creature that was poised to strike her from behind, Sachiel simply turned and held her arms up against her brother, thinking him to be attacking and gesturing for peace out of pure instinct.

As stupid as the sluagh were, the creature turned to look where the female was looking and was slammed in the chest with a lightning cast, quickly smoldering into ash and blowing away on the light forest breeze. A brief moment passed between the siblings and with both of them giving a small smile, the moment faded.

Falling back onto her behind, Sachiel set the sword down beside her and sighed, shaking her head to clear the muddiness in her head. While fighting an unseen enemy proved to be thrilling and tactful, it also worked hard on the mind, to carry out ways to attack without harming her brother and without wasting too many blows.

"How do you feel, Sachiel?" Ramiel asked casually, settling his long limbed form down beside her, his cloak draped out behind him like a cape.

"A little tired, honestly. Father spooked me in the arena and made me slip up while I was showing him what I had been practicing."

"You broke my glaive, didn't you."

She nodded to his direct, no nonsense quip. "That's why I'm using Hailstone. It needs to be a heavy weapon to deal with the True's."

"Sachiel..." His tone implied vague discontent and disappointment, but both of the fledglings knew it was time for an upgrade in their battlements. "And the armour?"

She got to her feet and stretched a little, bending forwards and backwards to get a feel for the outfit while standing still. "While I'm moving it moves with me, but when I stop like this, it feels heavy."

Ramiel got to his feet as well and began adjusting the straps that held it in place, being careful to not tug too hard on the leather buckles. "Does it pinch anywhere? I strengthened the steel with a spell I've been working on, so that when you're struck, the steel flexes and dissipates the strike. Because it expands and contracts, you may get pinched while moving around at a clipped pace, like you were just now."

"I never got pinched though."

"Oh, well maybe I remembered to compensate for that and forgot that I had already done it." He sighed out loud and gave the girl a pointed stare. "You interrupted me so many times while I was forging it that I could have even forgotten the spell! How would that suit you?"

Sachiel stepped closer to her beloved brethren and looked up at him with mild amusement in her pale eyes.

"As long as you crafted it for me, I'll wear it or bear it, Ramiel. You know that."

And then she was gone, leaving a chilly fog behind and a frustrated, partly angry spellcaster, who now had to trudge back to their home by himself; a long trek that demanded company, or at least a comforting presence to walk alongside.

"I'm not walking back to the compound alone, Sachiel! You know how much I loathe the boreal forest!" Laughter followed him as he began his walk, telling him that while invisible to his eyes due to her skills, his sister was watching over him as they went.

"Just don't forget to watch _my _back like I watched _yours_!"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own the characters of Sachiel and Ramiel, but the storyverse they live in belongs to Eidos, Crystal Dynamics and whomever else has ties to the Legacy of Kain world. I'm not making any money off of this, it's merely for personal entertainment.

Warnings: Pretty much the same as the first chapters, though the 'incest' category doesn't mean too much. While Sachiel and Ramiel are sister and brother in name and familial status, they're not truly related. It's only there for those anal enough to argue with me.

Notes: I know I didn't get into much explanation in the first chapter, but it does start to get more complicated in the coming chapters. They will be longer and more detailed, so please try to keep up. XD

---------------------------------------

_"Wake up, my child. You must grace the world with your lovely visage..."_

_The darkness mattered not to the vampire Kain. He casually sidestepped the miscellaneous debris on the floor surrounding the granite stab, carefully running his calloused but gentle hands over the prone form atop the stone. Naked, the body sat up, stretching slightly as if from a long sleep._

_"Have you anything to say, young one?" He asked lovingly._

_The female gave a look as if she were thinking very hard, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Pale yellow eyes roamed the area around the pair until they settled on Kain's grizzled face, a smile curling on the creature's lips, revealing a very new, very sharp set of canine teeth._

_"I can scent him."_

_"Who?" The elder vampire asked, amusing the newly born fledgling._

_"Another like us, but one of my age."_

_How pleasing! No more than a few minutes into her consciousness, and already the great Lord's newest brood member could detect her own kind._

_"He is in the next room, Sachiel."_

_Puzzled by the name, the female looked to her creator for confirmation, shifting off of the slab to stand on shaky but well built legs._

_"Sachiel is my name?" She asked curiously, while the elder man simply nodded. "And his?"_

_Kain smirked, having chosen a water angel's name for the girl and a thunder angel for his newly born son._

_"Ramiel, your brother."_

_"Ramiel." She spoke aloud, testing the name for balance. "My younger brother."_

_It could only be assumed that due to their mental link, Sachiel could tell that her brother had not yet awakened. His mind was a muddy gray to her, instead of the brilliant hues her father possessed. As she passed him on the way to the closed door, Kain draped a thick cloak over her shoulders, watching with obvious calm as she tugged it around herself and tied the sash. Displaying such conscious actions made the elder man happy, as it showed that his experiment had worked after so many years of inactivity._

_Kain knew that the boy's temperament would be less than his counterpart's, but as long as he had two offspring, he could train one in a certain skill and the other in the complete opposite. That way, he could have one whole unit of success, including himself as the axis on which the unit balanced._

_Walking to the door, the white haired vampire listened as Sachiel woke her brother, immediately sensing the blue shades of his consciousness and smugly moving to stand at the door to the male's room. Inside, Sachiel sat on the edge of the stone slab Ramiel had been created upon, leaning over the taller but much slimmer form of her beloved sibling. The way the male lifted his hands and cupped the girl's face bothered the elder creature, but Kain ignored the sudden surge of anger he felt, choosing to remain in the doorway and watch instead._

_Why should he be jealous of his own kin? Sure, they had been lovers in their past lives, but he had made sure to erase all memory of what they had been. Perhaps it was remnants of a memory that caused Ramiel to caress her so lovingly, or maybe it was simple love for his newly introduced sister?_

_"Father?" Sachiel queried softly._

_The aged vampire stepped inside and let Ramiel sit up, his nude form hidden behind the girl's, his arms draped over her shoulders familiarly. Kain found that he enjoyed the appellation of 'Father', despite his distaste for the term in the past. With his first brood, the vampiric brothers who had once been Sarafan priests, he denied them the pleasure of companionship with him and the loving notion of being sons to his bastardized version of a father. _

_"Yes, Sachiel, what do you need?"_

_"A chance to feed. Ramiel and I are hungry."_

_They're like twins, thought Kain. They share a mental bond, as well as a physical one, due to being gifted with life from my own cells, though their physical differences are startlingly obvious. How odd that Sachiel, being female, took the lead already. She may be the firstborn, but the fact still remains that she is female. By all accounts, Ramiel should be taking the initiative and should speak for the both of them._

_The fact that the woman had shown the first step of authority intrigued Kain and he decided to humour her until it became a boring task, or until his son took the steps to become more authoritative._

_The great Lord picked up the robe left for Ramiel and handed it to Sachiel before leaving the room, giving them the privacy they seemed to need but certainly catching sight of the girl dressing her brother, tying the sash around his waist and giving his chin a little nuzzle, as cats might do to greet each other. If nothing else, Kain had noticed at an early age himself, that vampires, though bat-like and wolf-like by nature, seemed to attribute a lot of their senses and actions to the feline species, particularly the fledglings._

_"Come, both of you." He called from the corridor. "I will outfit you and then I will take you hunting."_

_----------------------------------_

"Remember the first time Father took us hunting, Ramiel?" Sachiel asked as they walked back to their underground home, having reappeared just before they reached the outskirts of the compound.

"I do when I think very hard on it, but I usually get interlaced images of your first kill."

The shorter vampire stopped dead and stared at her companion, obviously bothered by his mention of the initial hunt.

"My first kill? You mean the bird I killed with my axe?"

The male nodded and kept walking, amused by his sister's mortification over her silliness. "You watched that thing for more than three hours, trying to pick up on its flight pattern and how it moved when it was on the ground. When you threw the axe you were a good enough shot to kill it but didn't you lose your balance and-"

"-fall into the river. Yes, yes."

"That's how Father found out that you were immune to water. I think he's still angry about it."

Sachiel caught up to her brother and gave him a look that suggested true hurt, her eyes downcast and her mouth in a thin, tight frown.

"I can't help it, Ramiel. I'd take it back if I could, if only to dispel Father's upset."

The gateway to the underground complex loomed before them and as the younger creature phased through it and appeared on the other side, Sachiel was hard pressed to get through, using her basic knowledge of the entry spell to unlock the gate and let herself in. Ramiel smirked from the dark corridor and started walking towards their private chambers, teasing the girl with his skills. Like black and white they were physically, but mentally, they remained like a set of twins, continuing to confound their father with their similarities.

---------------------

Accustomed to the dark, the fledglings moved to their respective rooms and settled in for the duration of the daytime, knowing that before they rested, their father would come to see them and give them instructions for the evening. Sachiel especially enjoyed the meetings with Kain, more than likely due to her demand for approval and the frequency at which she got it. Becoming a weapons master at such a young vampiric age had pleased the man and she wished to keep it that way.

Inside her quarters, Sachiel undressed, changing into a light tunic and leggings for comfort while sleeping, her armour lovingly wiped clean and hung up to await its use next time, while a small sachel she had carried between the steel and her clothes was left to be picked up again shortly. The spacious area she used as her sitting room also doubled as her recreational space and armoury, shown by the amount of books and weapons lining the shelves and racks along the walls.

A particularly beloved volume she had been reading from since before she could remember, lay on the heavy desk, its pages marked and knicked where she had worn the edges with her constant reading and where she had dogeared the corners for reference. The book had been given to her by Kain during her first training exercise and she didn't know the author of it personally, though his first name, Malek, sounded vaguely familiar, she had no recollection of knowing anyone by that name.

"How are we today, little one?" She asked as she walked to the corner directly across from the desk. "Are you hungry?"

Inside, a surface dwelling snake hissed at her, flicking its forked tongue threateningly. Its beady black eyes were difficult to see in the dim light but Sachiel knew it was watching her, waiting for its meal. The small pack she had left while changing was fetched and she undid the string to delve inside, pulling out a feral rat and dangling it over the cage teasingly. The creature lifted itself up slightly and hissed more loudly, demanding its dinner while she opened the small door to toss it inside. The rat was dead; killed by her own hand as she picked it up, because as she had told Ramiel when she had first brought the snake home, it liked its prey already deceased. It also made for easy transport from the forest to their home.

"He'll be your last until midweek, Lekki."

"Still keeping that thing around are you, young one?" Came the warm, almost purring voice of the house's master.

Sachiel turned and fell to one knee, casual in her dress but still formal in her greetings. "I am, Father. He keeps me company when Ramiel and yourself are away."

The elder vampire gestured for her to stand and then took a seat in the plush chair she used when she read, crossing his legs and scratching idly at his knee.

"Tomorrow, I'm traveling to the Dumahim lands to check the furnaces. There's been light seeping through the clouds for weeks now and I must make sure they're working properly. I'm leaving the two of you to watch the compound while I'm away and hopefully, there'll be no problems. Am I correct in assuming as much?"

"Of course, Father!" She chirruped. "Ramiel and I will guard it with our lives! It'll also give me time to work in the new armour he made for me."

Kain was pleased with her excitement over being left alone with her brother to guard the complex, but deep inside, he was slightly angry with himself for giving them so many opportunities to be alone together. In reality, they seemed to believe that relations between them were taboo because of their familial status, but according to the sluagh Kain had spoken with, and had had killed shortly thereafter, his firstborn was not above bending the rules a little bit.

"Leave your brother alone for the night, but be sure to tell him my plans after your rest. I'll come to wake you before I leave."

The girl nodded and smiled as she lifted her head to look into her father's eyes as the man stood and rested the warm palm of his hand on her head. She nuzzled the slightly scratchy surface of the three-clawed limb.

"Thank you, Father." She spoke softly, as the elder vampire faded into nothing.

Sachiel was smiling as she climbed into the heavily cushioned bed she so enjoyed during her daytime slumber, the foot of it covered with heavier blankets should she get a chill and the headboard was surrounded by pillows of varying colours, shapes and sizes. Her brother often chided her for being too feminine with her personal belongings but he had his quirks, as did she, and neither of them were above collecting odd things and then arguing about them with each other.

She closed her eyes with a self-satisfied sigh, burrowing into the heavy comforters and rolling onto her left side, cuddling the softest pillow against herself as one would with a loved one. Her voice was quiet as she spoke aloud, softly enough that she wouldn't be heard outside of her chambers.

"It's a two day trek from here to the Dumahim lands, including the time Father travels in his mist form. Giving us a day for sure to check the furnaces, that leaves him two more days of travel time." She giggled like a little girl when she counted the days, remembering a time when their father had left them by themselves, when they were little more than simple fledglings.

"Five days alone with Ramiel. Five days, five days, five five five..."

--------------------------

_"Can you do it yourself, Ramiel?"_

_The blond vampire shrugged his sister off and picked the large leather bound book from a shelf in Kain's personal library, blowing the dust from it and cracking the obviously old spine while opening it. He flopped himself down in the heavy wooden chair alongside the faded desk and began to read, haunted by the girl's mere presence and slightly annoyed by her for suggesting that they break into the elder vampire's personal rooms._

_"Go away, Sash! I can't concentrate with you hovering over me!"_

_The cheeky fledgling stuck her tongue out at the nickname and left the library, sneaking into the weapons room off of the main corridor, quietly closing the door behind her and very carefully lighting the brazier in the center of the room. She backed away from the bright fire instinctively and gasped at the sight of the various implements lining the walls and cluttering the floor. _

_"Let Rami have his magic spells. I've got what I want right here..."_

_The left hand wall was buried under centuries of rusted and soiled halberds, most of which bore emblems and designs the girl didn't recognize. The pole axes, while dirty, were serviceable. She picked up a thick one near her foot and was surprised by how light it was considering its size. The blade head of it towered over her tall form by at least eighteen inches and by the thickness of the steel, Sachiel thought it weighed close to a hundred pounds._

_"Only a giant of a man could've used this!" She stepped clear of the stacks and gave it a swing, barely missing a display rack of deadly looking spears and throw darts. "I like it..."_

_"As you should, Sachiel."_

_The girl whirled around, facing an angry looking lord with the halberd still clutched in her hands. _

_"Father!"_

_"Silence." The white haired creature ordered. "How dare you break into my rooms and touch what does not belong to you."_

_Sachiel immediately moved to set the pole arm down against the others and kneel before her lord, when the man struck out with his sword arm, the vicious looking curved blade cutting deeply into the shaft of the antique weapon. Shocked, the girl stared, not backing from her stance and still holding the halberd as if she meant to attack with it._

_"If you think you can wield it, prove it. You have no knowledge of attack form or battle-ready stances, but you may try as an ungifted, green amateur."_

_The man's words angered the proud woman and she growled as she took a step forward, lifting the head of the great weapon to keep the other at a distance. Kain's sword was known to her, as both a real item and a spectral item, having seen its form disappear to the other side and return unharmed. Ramiel more so than herself, had seen its corporeal form as well, but the vaguest vision of the Reaver held in his hand was enough to frighten the normally stoic, brave firstborn._

_"I won't fight you, Father. There is no justice in fighting amongst ourselves. What good would come of fighting amongst the ranks?"_

_Lunging, Kain led a wicked strike against his beloved daughter, injuring her when the Reaver sliced across the flesh of her upper right bicep. She nearly dropped the halberd but gripped it more tightly despite the blood loss she suffered. The deified creature chuckled out loud and tried again, this time blocked from the strike by the woman's quick reaction and the jolt of steel against steel as the halberd's blade came down upon the outstretched Reaver blade._

_"You learn more quickly than your brother does. I'm quite surprised by this."_

_It was a jab at the fact that she was a domineering female and Sachiel snarled at her father as she struck out at him for a change, halted by the sight of the man's sword giving off a strange light, almost like a mist that surrounded it._

_"Father...?" She asked softly, watching as Kain turned his back and strode out of the fire lit room. "Why do you walk away from me?!"_

_The library doors opening caused Sachiel to panic and taking up the closest weapons, two swords which still bore deadly blades, she followed him, wary of her brother's safety._

_"Ramiel, he's coming!" She bellowed down the corridor. _

_"Why didn't you tell me, Father?" Came a heated response, though nothing remotely related to the woman's frightened question. "I've been asking you about your spell casting talents for months and you've been hiding all of this from me?"_

_Kain sneered, slamming a clawed fist down upon the desk at which Ramiel sat, his legs crossed and a rather ancient looking volume open before him. His fingers had paused on a heavily lettered page and while he had learned to read when they were human and didn't know it, and had studied the runes and words in the Cathedral, Sachiel had never learned and was therefore ignorant to what her brother's eyes had skimmed over._

_"You dare to talk back to me, fledgling?" The elder man snarled. "If I felt it necessary to deign the skills upon you, I would have. Now both of you have deceived me. What am I to do about it?"_

_"Nothing, Father."_

_The Coorhagen native turned with a glare on his face, staring angrily at the woman who seemed to wish for death._

_"Come again, Firstborn?"_

_"Ramiel and I want to learn these things. He, the magic, and I, the combat weapons. I have no desire to learn magic and he has no desire to learn the sword, so despite the difficulties we may face during our training and how different the skills may be, in the end we will become a complete being when we fight."_

_The elder man thought on the girl's words for a long moment, long enough for Sachiel to gift her brother with a faint smile over their father's shoulder. The sword tips were rested against the floor because in truth, they were too heavy for the woman to wield just yet, and somewhat ungainly for a person her size. _

_"Return the blades to the armoury, Sachiel." Commanded Kain, as he sat himself down in the chair opposite his literate child. "Then return here and I will make a decision regarding this."_

_The girl ran through the hall and locked the doors behind her before her boots signaled her return upon the polished stone. She ducked inside the library and stood behind Ramiel, her hands at her sides and her eyes narrowed at the great vampire lord._

_"As I've made you both far too powerful to go against your desires and restrain you, I've decided to give in to your whims, albeit begrudgingly."_

_The pair looked at each other with bright smiles and then turned solemn faces upon their father while he continued._

_"I will consent to Sachiel's desire to be taught as a fighter, though the circumstances will be strict. I will expect constant reports on how the training has proceeded, as well as daily, or failing that, weekly, sparring matches to prove how true the reports really are."_

_"And for you, Ramiel, my obviously brilliant but misguided son, I give you all access to my library and every tome within it. The ones directly behind you on the right hand shelf, are books on metallurgy and blacksmithing. Alongside your magical studies, I want you to become a blacksmith for the clan."_

_"Why a blacksmith, Father? Surely there are capable ones in the outlying clans we could call upon-"_

_"Absolutely not. This is a matter of familial importance, Ramiel."_

_The boy became slightly annoyed at the elder man's insistence and sighed out loud, leaning back in his chair. He was not afraid of standing his ground with the aged vampire, nor was he afraid of speaking his mind and mouthing off at the most inopportune moments._

_"Explain."_

_"You will become your sister's protector-"_

_"But, Father-" She began._

_"-by creating the weapons and armour she requires for her studies and subsequent battles. You will imbue the items with protection geists and you will __**never**__ allow any harm to come to her while she fights. Is that understood?"_

_The younger male swallowed audibly and nodded in agreement, turning his head and lifting his gaze to stare into his sister's eyes. He had always felt a profound need to protect her but as a strong woman, as well as a stubborn one, he found it increasingly hard to do._

_"I agree, Father. Now, leave me to it. The winter is coming and the seasonal hunting will have to begin soon. I wish to learn enough to create a weapon for Sachiel to use against our enemies in the first attack."_

_While Kain was not happy at being shoved out of his own library by a cocky child, he allowed himself to be guided out by the blue haired female. Sachiel smiled warmly and suddenly ran back towards the armoury, returning with a halberd that resembled the first one she had used. It shone more brightly than the others and was less rusted and damaged from sitting near the back under piles of old underclothes worn beneath basic armour. She was unprepared however, for Kain's cryptic, definitely threatening message._

_"Go on." The elder creature said. "Do whatever you like with yourself, but always remember that I am the master of this household. No matter how strong you become or now resilient your weapons and armour become, I will still take it upon myself to kill you if you become to comfortable at the top. Your brother is no exception to this rule, so I suggest__you become strong enough to protect each other."_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own the characters of Sachiel and Ramiel, but the storyverse they live in belongs to Eidos, Crystal Dynamics and whomever else has ties to the Legacy of Kain world. I'm not making any money off of this, it's merely for personal entertainment.

----------------------------

_Neither fledgling had the barest inkling of how grueling their training would be._

_While they had flourished in the long run and had made their father proud, the work involved had taxed them both to near the breaking point, especially the young blacksmith._ _Ramiel toiled long hours in the forge near the former Sanctuary of the Clans and despite his dedication and excitement over the project, he found the work less enjoyable each day. That was, until the day he was assigned a new task which would benefit his misfit sister and her bloodthirsty, hunting ways._

_"A basic axe which, when thrown, will not fail on its mark unless knocked out of the air by an unknown force. Use your target spells, the ones used to source the heat from your prey, as the base magic cast."_

_Kain's logic was simple. If the axe is thrown at a target, it will not waver due to shifts in the wind or a sudden change in the wielder's stance just before being let loose. The great vampire leader had faith in his daughter's aim but not in her ability to stay still before throwing the weapon at her prey._

_"She is jumpy at times, Ramiel. I'm sure you've noticed it."_

_The young smithy nodded as he struck the hammer down upon the steel he would use for the item, finding solace in the distinct ring of the metal and the heavy vibration of the strike as it traveled up the length of his arm._

_"I will imbue it as soon as it's cast, Father. Will we be hunting the same day as a test, or will this be a show of skill to you, on both of our parts?"_

_The long haired creature smiled broadly, a not altogether friendly grin._

_"Have it finished by midweek."_

_"Of course." Ramiel spoke softly, as he bowed halfway and then returned to his work, as if he had not been interrupted at all._

_---------------------------_

_"It's heavy, Rami!" The female vampire whined, as she tested the weight of the axe in her gloved hand. "I like short range weapons that are close to this weight, but why an axe? I'd like something I can hold with two hands next time-"_

_"You'll do with what you're given, petulant one." Kain chided from behind the pair._

_Both fledglings turned and dropped to their knees, Sachiel in her basic armour and Ramiel in his traveling gear, complete with a plain but deadly sword slung at his hip and a similarly basic outfit of armour on his slim frame._

_"I don't want either of you to return without a kill of some sort. Bring the corpses back with you as proof."_

_They got up to leave and waited a second as Kain held his hand up, his smirk returning, parting his slightly wrinkled face like a wide, dangerous canyon._

_"Hunt in the Turelim lands. It will take you a day to get there, but it's the most inhabited area. Also, I want you both to watch for the steam vents. As you know, those lands are still volcanically active."_

_Sachiel saw her brother's face droop slightly but she grinned, knowing that it would be a challenge neither of them would fail in._

_"Of course, Father! We won't fail you!"_

_----------------------------------_

_"I hate this place."_

_The male rolled his eyes at his sister as he trudged alongside her, the axe tied to her hip jingling as they crossed the uneven terrain. They had stopped twice on the journey, once to get their bearings and the second time to hunt for their meal, wiping out a group of small creatures they referred to as hogs, though the animals barely resembled the ancient barnyard animals save for their vicious tusks._

_Sated for the moment, Sachiel marched somewhat happily, excited to get to use her skills and eager to see Ramiel in battle as well._

_"How about we stop here?" She asked, as they approached a rather shallow but wide body of water separating the Turelim lands from their own land. "We can't get across this anyway and I've been scenting hawks for more than a mile now."_

_Hawks, while definitely bird-like in appearance, bore a closer resemblance to ancient creatures from the human realm, rather than the small, singing versions seen in and around the living cities. They flew on great leathery wings and had feathers, but only in sparse tufts around their head and feet. _

_Ramiel nodded and set himself down upon the grassy land, stretching his legs before him and leaning back on his muscled arms, his head tipped back and to the side so he could regard his sister at a nearly upside down angle._

_"Go ahead. I'm going to have a bit of a rest and maybe start in the evening. The clouds may be blocked out, but my time underground has weakened my ability to tolerate even this weak daylight. It fatigues me too quickly."_

_"It tires me out even worse Rami, but I don't complain about it." She grumped. "I'm going to go stake out a spot. Come tell me when you've risen, all right?"_

_The blond vampire nodded as he let himself fall the rest of the way back, snuggling his back into the soft grasses and pillowing his head with his arms._

_"Will do."_

_------------------------------------_

_The ability to see never changed for the vampires, as day turned to night, and though dusk had begun to fall, Sachiel could still see her prey across the river. The hawk's beak clapped open and closed as it waited for its mate, obviously caught in the turbulent time of raising young. By the look of the nest, the babies had been born and raised already, but the female creature remained on the twig and dung contraption, ignorant to its upcoming demise._

_Three hours the young vampire had sat in her tree perch, carefully calculating how the animal moved when it ventured down to the ground, though for how seldom that happened, Sachiel had decided that killing it while it was on the nest was her best course of action. It flew up into the air in a spray of dust and loose feathers for only a brief second, causing the hunter to tense up and grip the handle of her axe more tightly. Nothing came of the movement however, as the hawk settled itself back down and returned to its previous motions._

_After spying the mate and unsuccessfully trying to plan a shot that would kill both of them at once, the blue haired creature sighed to herself and relaxed a little bit, taking her eyes from the nest to drop them to the ground beneath her, where her stealthy brother stood against the tree, the bloodied corpse of a hawk lying at his feet. He had used a weak lightning spell to kill the beast as it stalked towards him while he woke from his slumber and as such, the body was charred and bleeding in places._

_"Finished sleeping, Rami? I see you've caught your prize already." She asked jokingly, snorting at his quick kill. "I've got a hunt going right now, so if you don't mind-"_

_"It just flew off."_

_Sachiel's head moved quickly and she felt something in her neck pop, grunting out loud and growling low in her throat as she saw that yes indeed, her prey had flown away. She silently blamed it on her brother but said nothing as she climbed out a little further on the thick branch she had taken residence upon._

_"It's only circling, Sash. Relax a little bit. It'll come back down eventually."_

_"But I've already been watching it for three hours!"_

_Ramiel broke into quiet laughter but stopped as the hawk returned again, hiding himself more effectively behind the tree this time, giving the elder hunter the privacy and stealth she needed. The bird landed back on the nest but was wary this time, eying everything across the river as if something was catching its attention. The glint of Sachiel's axe wasn't the cause but in the sparkling river fish gleamed beneath the surface, so its mind may have been on food, or the simple bubbling of the water over the rocks. _

_Stepping out slowly onto the end of the branch she felt most comfortable on, the woman lifted her axe and aimed it square at the animal's chest, deciding that pinning it against the thick trunk behind it would be the best option, even if she managed to behead it accidentally. It would still be a kill and Kain would still be pleased, no doubt. She grinned broadly as she reached her arm back for the throw, ignorant of Ramiel's geist upon the weapon, causing it to strike square and true despite her unconscious twitches._

_The axe left her hand as she threw all of her weight into the throw, overbalancing and bringing both feet down upon the thinnest part of the branch. It snapped loudly enough for it to be nearly impossible, a sound that echoed in the fledglings ears and drowned out the shout from her staring sibling. Beneath her the river roiled against the rocks, deep enough to walk across in most spots and deeper in the center, where one would have to wade across. Though to a vampire, the water was like acid, a substance that could burn and decay vampiric flesh with only the smallest of droplets._

_Sachiel screamed as she fell, unable to cast a spell on her self for levitation, or perform a geist of protection, and her weapons were all but useless. The axe, embedded in the far tree with a headless hawk lying beneath it, would have been as equally useless. How could an axe save someone from a watery grave?_

_"Sachiel, no!" Her brother hollered, just as impotent to save her as his spells were limited. _

_A wave of nausea and utter helplessness fell over the younger vampire and he found himself soiling the ground with his recently ingested meal, staining his cloak with the red liquid. Before him in the river his sister lay, prone because the fall had come hard. He certainly could not dive in to save her but regardless of his fear less than a moment prior, his eyes and mind were drawn to the situation that was not happening._

_Sachiel was not writhing in agony, nor was her skin melting away, even though the water was coursing over her in a wicked torrent._

_"Sash! Can you hear me? Please give me some indication!"_

_A grunt came from the somewhat deep water and the soaked form moved, climbing to its feet and shaking off the excess water. It was an image that would forever be burned into Ramiel's consciousness, as it was an impossible feat that had never been duplicated. Not to his knowledge anyway._

_"Sachiel!" The boy cried in surprise and relief._

_"I suppose the fish call this 'being wet', ne, Rami?" She asked, with a strange smile on her face._

_"Dead is what you should be called! How are you standing there? You should be melting or crying out in death! Something other than dripping water and making jokes!"_

_The female vampire shrugged and trudged away from her brother, wading across the river and climbing the tree where her prey sat. Water dripped from her armour and ran down the branch she stood upon, the wooden perch holding her until she snatched up the beheaded animal and her weapon and hopped back to the ground. The blue haired hunter landed with a wet plop and then waded back across to the other, throwing the kill down beside his._

_"I don't think I like being wet." She exclaimed grumpily. "My clothes chafe against me and it feels like I'm cold but I'm probably not really."_

_Ramiel was still in shock over his sister's miraculous feat and said nothing, even as he slung the hawk over his shoulder and made off in the direction of their home. Sachiel caught up with her kill in one hand and the axe in the other, happy over her perfect kill and seemingly ignorant to how grave her new situation seemed._

_"What's the matter, Rami? You're being a little cold to me."_

_"It's not possible, Sachiel."_

_"What's not-"_

_The male whirled on his sister and snarled threateningly, baring his teeth as he never had before, frightening her and causing her to gasp out loud and grip her weapon a bit more tightly._

_"You should be dead! Vampires cannot touch water! Father won't be pleased to hear about this!"_

_Sachiel dropped the bird and held her axe out in defense, ready to fight her sibling if it came right down to it. She had never seen him so angry and despite the fact that he was the younger of the two, she feared his skills with spells and magic, mainly because she didn't understand any of it. Her brutish warrior's mentality saw to that well enough._

_"Step back, brother. I don't want any argument with you. I'll tell Father what happened here as long as you give up this act of hostility. I don't want to be hated for what I don't understand myself!"_

_Her last words were hollered and the male vampire's mind cleared to where Sachiel could stand it again, feeling an immense amount of hatred coming from him as he squared off against her. The blue in his mind returned and they both calmed, the girl moving to pick up her prey a second time and the younger creature to walk beside her, her eyes on the terrain ahead and his on her soaked form. _

_Tentatively, he reached a hand out and touched her shoulder, hissing in pain and snapping the limb away from her as he felt the residual dampness of the water eating into the palm of his hand. Sachiel gave him an apologetic look and walked away a few feet, so the drippings wouldn't hit him accidentally. It was a long, silent trek back to the compound and once inside, they parted ways again, intending on cleaning up before they met with their father with news of their return and news of a more somber sort._

_-----------------------------------------_

The morning of Kain's departure, both siblings waited for him at the exit of the compound in formal attire. Ramiel wore varying shades of green with gold as the accent, while Sachiel remained in her favourite shades of blue and silver. Black undertones in both outfits showed off the hues and despite the slight anxiety both vampires felt, they were immeasurably honoured to be left in charge of their home while their father went about his duties.

"I'm touched to see you in something other than an apron, my son." He mused, patting Ramiel on the shoulder and immediately looking to his eldest child with some concern. "And you, Firstborn. Why do you wear a weapon to see me off?"

The blue haired hunter grinned broadly and turned to bow, setting her sword down upon the ground in a gesture of peace.

"Isn't it a common practice amongst the clan leaders of old, to be seen out of their home by their brave guards on their way for a long voyage?"

She was attempting to dissuade the man's idea that she was armed out of danger, when in actuality, she was only armed for show. Kain smiled at her and then wiped it off immediately as he lifted a hand and slapped her hard across the face, throwing her to the ground. Sachiel grunted in pain but dared not look at the elder vampire, busily licking the inside of her cheek where the impact had broken the skin against her teeth. Ramiel watched with vague worry, aware that their father hated presumptions but wisely keeping his mouth shut so the female would learn the lesson properly.

"Never assume or presume with me. I suggest you learn that lesson before I return."

He vanished as Ramiel bowed to him, moving quickly to his sister's side and helping her up, earning himself an elbow in the belly for his troubles.

"Leave me be! He'll only be angry with you as well if he sees you helping me."

The blond creature backed off and with a cluck of his tongue, he turned on his heel and made his way back inside the underground sanctuary. He listened as Sachiel's armour clinked as she followed closely behind, unnerved by the tinge of red that crept into his mind from the elder vampire's consciousness. It wasn't a red of danger or anger, but it still perturbed him greatly.

"I'm going to change and stay in my rooms for the day. If you want to hunt after nightfall, I'll meet you in the main hall." The younger fighter called back, as he passed beneath one of the great, fiery hall sconces.

No answer came from the oddly silent female and with a slight bow, she stepped into her own rooms as they approached the door. Ramiel, only residing in the rooms next to hers, seemed a million miles away as he entered his private haven and locked the door securely behind himself. He knew that the skilled female could get inside if she tried hard enough, but he hoped that a simple lock and a bit of respect would keep her out for the remainder of the day. Two cabinets lay to his right hand side and he undressed quickly, filling the first one with his formal clothing and opening the second to stand nude before it. He looked deeply into the full-length mirror within the dark closet and scowled at his handsome reflection, immediately closing the wooden doors again and locking them tightly.

From the chest beside his bed he took out a set of robes in a dark shade of blue, shrugging them on and tightening the sash so he could be comfortable while he rested. He wasn't about to sleep, but a good deal of simple sitting would do him well, especially considering the extensive library he had yet to finish reading through. His father, while generous in his loaning of the books, was still withholding secrets, and Ramiel was determined to unlock them in due time.

"_'Filling of the Valley'_." He read out loud, from the cover of a rather soiled and dusty tome that rested on his bedside table. "Sounds interesting enough to occupy my afternoon."

-----------------------------

_(written in nearly illegible script on stained paper, dated 2436 OTNA (of the new age) )_

_Over the course of my evolutionary millennium, the waters rose above the Abbey and effectively submerged it. Samael, my true first born, the leader of the First Clan, has recollected the occurrences to me, so that I may record them before my transformation has completed. He is precious to me, as I and my brethren never were to our Lord and Master, and I find myself unable to tell him for fear of being chided by my comrades. Trueborn vampires evolve as life dictates! Have I not shown this by growing different from my brothers and subjugating myself to the waters that we once feared? I have control over the waterways and lakes they cannot traverse!_

_Samael has agreed to dictate to me the details of the first flood and my return to the world of the living and I will record it thusly, as I failed in my duties of teaching my offspring to read and write. The transformation requires so many of my waking hours that I cannot do everything in the allotted time! However will I finish this in time? I only ask your forgiveness, my Master, for my weaknesses!_

_(written in more legible script; neatly printed but with a shaky hand, also dated 2436 OTNA)_

_'The day grew dark by mid-morning and the majority of us had already scented the change upon the winds. The smell of decay came with it, as well as the smell of dampness. Rain most likely, but the chances of it during the hottest days of summer were slim. The clouds pressed in from the mountains and though our Master slept fitfully during his Change, we were loathe to wake him despite his sleeplessness. Whatever little sleep he gained only created a new, stronger form for him and it was above us to interrupt him. His children we may have been, but even we were not immune to his wrath when given the chance to be obstinate._

_We had walled our Lord into his rooms to prevent his escape during the Change, as instructed by him, and either myself or my brother Camael listened as he spoke our orders, usually to be dictated to our brethren. This day however, we did not arrive at our Lord's chamber by the Hour of Dictation, and instead armed a battalion against the rising waters surrounding our beloved Abbey._

_Bear witness to the fact that it was not the water we feared, but our home being destroyed by the element's vicious nature. Our bodies had been born with the ability to breathe both air and oxygen beneath the water's surface, and yet our lives remained on land. How could one preserve familial items if they are submerged in icy cold waters from Nosgoth's great northern mountains?_

_Two hours from the time we forced our brethren back into the Abbey, the waters came. No more simple leaks in the low barriers and dampness in the Great Hall. We carried what we could to the upper floors of our sanctuary and hid the items as we went back for more. By the time I and my mate had returned to the topmost floor with the last of our many belongings, the water had crept its way into the very depths of our Lord's private chambers. While we knew his compulsion to change would override his very safety, we still attempted to break down the barriers encasing him in the grand quarters. We were unsuccessful and whether it was by instinct or the desire to succeed my father to the throne, I ordered the others to retreat to the bell tower and we left our Lord Rahab to his own survival._

_Many of us, mostly the fledglings and the females, desired the safety of the Abbey and delved back into the cold waters, using their abilities to the fullest. We had evolved beyond our Lord in that we could tolerate the sun's weak rays when near the surface of the water or on the land for brief periods of time. The great colossus Dumah continued to pump black smoke into the air to block out the sun's harmful rays and yet even the weakest of rays burned our Lord's pale skin, even in the near darkness of his walled-in home. _

_More than a decade passed and still, we had not ventured into the deepest depths of the Abbey to speak to our Lord. He would no doubt be angry with us, but as survival dictated, the strongest survived. There was no doubt, considering the powerful spiritual residue we all felt within our minds, that Lord Rahab had survived the catastrophe. The day that finally signaled the end of his Change, Rahab appeared before us, while Camael and I patrolled the Outer Font. We had stopped to rest beside the water's edge for a moment and the water before us bubbled as a great white shape appeared just below the surface. It did not breech the surface but brave as he was, Camael tossed his gear aside and dove in._

_How the water did toss violently then! White crests broke its once serene surface and what remained of my dearest twin brother floated to the surface, broken and bloodied, merely bludgeoned meat dressed in tattered rags. I lifted my weapon to the beast and immediately dropped it as the pale skinned head of my Lord appeared, his viciously grinning visage causing me to gasp. I was instructed to return to the Abbey and tell the others of his return. He told me of his visions; of a blue skinned spirit whose body possessed powers unheard of, and whose name must never be spoken amongst our brood. I retained the information out of sheer duty to my Lord and father and as quickly as I could, I returned to my home. The large form of my Master followed closely behind, a frightening spectre in the chilly depths. Had he not shown me some degree of consciousness and familial recognizance, I would have ended up as my brother had. _

_The reason for Camael's death was told to me once, though I care not repeat it, even for the official records. It too had become taboo within the Clan, alongside the strange name of my father's distant successor, though he assured me at one time, that the stranger would be a distant cousin and would mean nothing to anyone in the long run. _

_In the year 2446 OTNA, my father, the great Lord Rahab, renamed the Martyr's Abbey. As members of the Rahabim clan, we now lived within the watery depths of the Drowned Abbey. The fjords which fed the valley continued to pour fresh water into our home and we constructed dams and channels to move the water through the entirety of our homeland, giving our Lord the ability to remain beneath the water and still venture into the furthest corners of his lands. The bell tower, which still contained the ceremonial bell we rang on joyous occasions and during raids, remained wholly unused, as loud noises echoed through the water and pained us greatly. We refrained from causing excessive noise and even encouraged a sort of telepathic link to be used underwater, to keep us from conversing verbally.'_

On a separate sheet of paper, Ramiel found a different style of handwriting, along with a strip of cloth without a label or details as to what or who it had belonged to. Reading the single note out loud, he got to his feet and paced the length of his chambers, moving back and forth between the furniture as if it wasn't even there.

_'I have waited more than enough years for this day. My father waits in the Abbey for his prey, while I use the skills I acquired recently to pen my acknowledgment of a vicious but brave foe. I found him in the Main Hall, while patrolling. Blue skin and dark hair, as our Lord had described! His eyes glowed with a light unheard of, even amongst we preternatural beings. I avoided a confrontation with him, but I watched with horror as he destroyed more than a dozen of my kin with less effort than it would take me to write these words. My cousin Kohael managed to take a piece of the demon's cloak as he struck out at him, but he died in doing so. I pried the item from his fist and have set it out to dry in a safe place. I will fetch it when it's ready and it will be archived here with these notes._

_He comes now! A vampire, this creature seems to be. I can feel his mind delving into mine, unconsciously, as if he cannot control the basic skill. He is tinted blue, but it is not a placid or calm blue. I fear that his colours have been reversed and unless I see his version of a calming red, the end may be near for all of us._

_In the name of our Lord Rahab, I will not let him take the Abbey.'_

Ramiel stared at the last line on the paper and blinked stupidly, unable to believe what he had read. In his right hand sat the item Samael had described, its dry surface scratchy against the callouses of the blacksmith's palm. He stepped closer to the flaming sconce beside the dresser and held the object out to be examined, turning it over in his hands and taking it for what it was.

A plain piece of cloth. Brown in colour, with a paler shade of dye covering one section, as if a symbol had been decorated onto it. Unremarkable, however it seemed to be important enough to have been kept by Kain. That fact alone stayed Ramiel's hand as he was tempted to toss it into the drawer he reserved for odd treasures he picked up on his travels. He carefully tucked the strip back into the slim book, a bookmark of sorts, and set the tome back upon his bedstand, stifling a stitch in his side as he stood too quickly.

Then it dawned on him.

These creatures, vampires of a race long dead, could touch and live in water. His father had discussed the former clan leaders and brethren he had shared lands with in the past, but the mention of Rahab had not detailed his ability to survive in water. Nor did he know why the Drowned Abbey, a place off-limits to he and his sister, had been segregated and placed on the list of taboo lands. He was suddenly suspicious of the water tolerance, more so because his sister seemed to share the trait with the underwater vampires and he did not.

"How many days did Sachiel say we had until Father returned home?" He quietly asked himself, scratching the back of his head in anxious annoyance. "I think I've got some exploring to do..."


End file.
